'Pacific Rim' is awesome in both the literal meaning of the word and it's more adolescent expression, but it lacks the characters and plot required to elevate the spectacle.

Rating: 7/10 (27 October 2013)

In between all his Spanish art-house films, Mexican director Guillermo Del Toro loves to do a good sized blockbuster. 'Pacific Rim', Del Toro's follow up to 2008′s hugely enjoyable comic book adventure 'Hellboy II: The Golden Army', is as sized as it gets.
Whether he is tearing up cities in 3D, or directing independent projects in foreign languages, Del Toro always does his work with a strong dose of passion, love and integrity that makes him a true auteur. Unbelievably, in all this monster mayhem, you can see that this is the same man who directed the small fantasy/war/drama masterpiece 'Pans Labyrinth'. Every film he develops appears to be a passion project for this genius, and he does not discriminate when it comes to budget; injecting beautiful fantasy design, considerate storytelling and overall good taste. This is the difference between something like 'Pacific Rim' and 'Transformers'. Love of an unappreciated genre pours of the screen, as does the visionary's artistry and lack of cynicism. Del Toro ensures he evacuates his cities before the mass destruction ensues (unlike a certain Superman film) and he does his best to ensure there is no glamorization of the military, or the violence. This is a strongly anti-fascist human being, and I have no doubt he is someone who is sensitive to the political implications of his images. Despite his best attempts, he can't escape an inevitable ooh-rah, gung-ho mentality, but because it is such an unpretentious experience, that embraces it's B movie charm, you don't tend to think too politically about a film in which a guy orders "Elbow rocket!" and then proceeds to wallop a glowing gorilla monster in the face. Really hard.
But there is more to Guillermo than rocket punching. If anything, the film is a call to unity. "The bigger the bond, the stronger you fight" sums up a film about international community and humanities need to work together. Jaegers need two pilots to operate them; we literally cannot fight the threat without co-existence. The two pilots need to mentally transfuse with each other, share minds and control the robot in a process called the drift. The heroes are not heroes unless they are together. I find this message to be more ideologically agreeable, and easier to embrace, than the jingoistic, pro-military; sexist inclinations of a certain Michael Bay. It's true that I have a bit of a man crush on Guillermo Del Toro – being such the great human being he is – but 'Pacific Rim' is an original concept in a time full of sequels, prequels and reboots. Most of all, it captures the awe of what action spectacle can and should be.
Visually, the movie is majestic. Kaiju, inspired by a vast array of animals, are biologically fascinating and rather beautiful. The Jaegers, inspired by everything from buildings to John Wayne, are impressive in it's mechanical detail. These robot Jaegers have personalities and reflect their nation of origin; they are characters in themselves. The CGI which brings Del Toro's vision to life is wonderful. A scene in which a half broken, defeated Jaeger collapses unto it's knees before two bystanders, on a winter beach, feels more like the stuff of fine art. It is an image that has every right to be painted, framed and placed in a gallery. As with any Del Toro movie, there is a staggering attention to detail that you will most likely notice more on a second viewing. Not just visually; there are all to brief moments when we witness – 'Starship Trooper' style – life of humanity at war. Jaeger pilots become media heroes to the population; in the style of WW1 fighter pilots like the Red Baron, and there are propaganda war posters covering the planet. Not to forget the Kaiju poop. Also, the crew of a Jaeger feel more like a WW2 bomber team; showing the many historical influences the filmmakers drew from. This subtle world building enriches the overall experience and may come in quite useful for any sequels/prequels.
The 12 year old boy inside me was loving it. The apex of boyish joy is the beautifully luminescent battle of Hong Kong. The scale is huge; and regular appearances from helicopters circling the monster vs. metal clash emphasizes this fact and the ridiculous size of the movie in general. You literally cannot get away from the low angle shot; Del Toro is continuously reminding us that these things are gargantuan. Unfortunately, the movie can never quite top that enthralling sequence and the resulting third act is a bit of an unimaginative disappointment that is far too similar to fellow alien invasion spectacle 'Independence Day'.
Performances are fine, but almost all the characters lacked any real personality. This is by far the biggest drawback, and unfortunately, from a narrative and thematic point, it is a problem as big as a giant Kaiju. Idris Elba, however, is great; as he cancels apocalypses and walks around with the awesome name of Stacker Pentecost. Not only is he a charismatic bad-ass, but his character is the most interesting by a long stretch.
This is a love letter to the Japanese Mecha and Kaiju genre and the works of fantasy visual effects artist Ray Harryhausen. Beyond that, it is a statement to western audiences that the 'Godzilla' remake was not the best introduction to giant monsters. 'Pacific Rim' is a beautiful cross cultural blend and the affection the film evidently has for it's influences is infectious. I want to delve into my collection and re-watch 'Godzilla', or 'It Came From Beneath the Sea' and then explore the many films and anime I have not seen yet. After the disappointing collapse of Del Toro adapting either The Hobbit or At The Mountains of Madness, it is good to see a project with his name finally on it.
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